What gets your spirit soaring and your heart pumping? For us, it’d have to be a nonprofit fundraising campaign. We love the rush of working towards a goal, the adrenaline of coordinating marketing emails with social media posts, and the thrill of rallying supporters near and far to a good cause. But before you can launch a campaign, you need a kick-butt campaign site.

Campaign sites are different from your regular website. Your main site has a massive to-do list and many a target audience, but your campaign site? That little fellow’s doing some laser-focused heavy lifting. Luckily, Funraise is here to help you with that.

First, we’ve got examples galore, then we'll explore the wonderful world of campaign sites (also known as microsites), including types, benefits, tips, and more. Then, once you’re fully on Team Campaign Site, you can get your very own campaign site (and peer-to-peer functionality) with Funraise's best-in-class fundraising features. So, let’s get campaigning!

5 campaign site examples we love

We could spend all day over here by the water cooler, talking about campaign sites (we’re not very popular at parties), but first, allow us to whet your appetite with some top-tier campaign site examples. These sites make our campaign-site-loving hearts soar with the eagle’s nest, in the immortal words of Michael Scott. We hope they’ll do the same for you.

1. MATTER—The rockin'est campaign site around

In response to the uncompromising social distancing mandates of 2020, MATTER leaned into the unusual event scene, creating their annual Un-Gala, Rock the Lake. And with it, a unique campaign site that's had unqualified success.

What we love about it:

MATTER's custom Rock the Lake campaign site features

• a custom header image with inviting copy
• a progress bar with links to tickets and sponsorship opportunities
• imagery that adds excitement and anticipation
• an embedded video that increases the FOMO
• a clear nonprofit story that relates the event back to their mission
• sponsor recognition and levels
• all the event details, including ticket levels

Here's how MATTER made it work:

Rock the Lake's campaign page shows off the amount raised leading up to, during, and after the event with a progress bar that leads into a description of the event and makes us want to cross the US, motor a boat over, and rock the lake!

MATTER doubled up on their sponsorship opportunities by adding their sponsor packages to the ticket form, making the decision to sponsor this exciting event almost an impulse buy. (A $10,000 impulse buy.) For supporters interested in donating, they can get recognition with the same amount of effort as a standard donation.

Even better? Adding those ticket levels was just as simple as making the donation.

Finally, MATTER amped up the FOMO with a rockin' video of the previous year's Un-Gala. With scenic views of the lake, footage of attendees having a great time, and an irresistibly danceable soundtrack, there's no denying that this is Lake Minnetonka's can't-miss event of the season.

2. Alaska Pacific University—The choose-your-own-adventure campaign site

Alaska Pacific University's Giving Day 2022 is unique in its variety of programming: their use of a custom campaign site allows donors to give to the program of their choice in addition to their general fund.

What we love about it:

Alaska Pacific University's Giving Day 2022 custom campaign site features

• a gorgeous, compelling header image and motivational copy
• a clear, time-bound fundraising goal rooted in organizational history
• multiple, linked progress bars
• a donor feed sortable by recent donations and top donations
• four sections highlighting the unique programs being funded by this campaign

Here's how Alaska Pacific University made it work:

APU packed a lot into the top image on their fundraising site: a gorgeous background image (featuring a human interacting with nature), a rad campaign logo, and concise-yet-compelling copy. It draws you in, that's for sure!

Are we the only ones that googled "how many hours is 1,960 minutes"? We knew it; you were about to do the same thing! Well, let us help you out—it's roughly 32 hours.

Expanding the giving day to 1960 minutes gives APU a little more time in their giving "day" as well as bringing it back to their roots—celebrating over 60 years of education!

Rather than putting all of their donations in one basket, APU opted to spread the wealth among 4 of their programs, which is a genius idea—and easily achievable with Funraise's campaign site builder.

3. One Day's Wages—The perfect partner campaign sites

One Day's Wages takes a slightly different angle when it comes to fundraising campaign sites, creating individual microsites for organizations that they partner with. They certainly have a successful system, with consistency you can see across these samples.

What we love about it:

One Day's Wages custom campaign sites secrets to success include

• gorgeous, compelling header images
• progress bars showing growing support
• stories of why One Day's Wages is partnering with these organizations and how their work is making a difference
• impact cards highlighting the concrete effect of this partnership
• introductions to individuals that speak to the heart of each partner organization
• a donor feed that foments donor FOMO

Here's how One Day's Wages made it work:

Right from the top, each campaign site glows with gorgeous imagery of the humans involved. The images are loving, real, and emotional, creating connections that draw donors in.

One Day's Wages doesn't shy away from the most important piece: the impact of the programming that donations are funding. It's noted in the copy, the on-site storytelling, and then cemented in impact cards that give hard numbers of families, individuals, and communities assisted.

The humanity is further highlighted in introductions to people important to each organization—clients assisted, leaders within the community, or organizational supporters. One Day's Wages never wavers in keeping humans front-and-center.

4. Animal Care League—The custom campaign site that cares

When we came across the precious header videos on Animal Care League's Giving Tuesday campaign site, we were riveted. Kittens, puppies, and bunnies are a guaranteed winner, so Animal Care League gets the campaign site gold.

What we love about it:

Animal Care League's Giving Tuesday fundraising campaign site features

• adorable animals that grab you right from the header
• a progress bar to showcase Giving Tuesday success
• options for Giving Tuesday involvement linking easy ways to participate
• a dollar-for-dollar matching donation
• impact cards explaining the monetary value and effect of each donation
• peer-to-peer fundraising teams

Here's how Animal Care League made it work:

Sweet and fluffy baby animals. 'Nuff said.

Generosity is more than money, and when a day like Giving Tuesday comes around, we want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be generous. So Animal Care League's inclusion of ways to help out ranges from straight giving money to spreading the word, and on to tapping your network on behalf of the organization.

Animal Care League is lucky enough to have secured a dollar-for-dollar Giving Tuesday matching grant, and they're making the most of it by adding the doubled monetary value to their impact cards, one of Funraise's easy-peasy campaign site options. The only thing better than the feeling you get when you donate is knowing that your donation goes further—and it's even sweeter when you don't even have to do the math.

5. Boy Scouts of America, Heart of America Council—Our favorite hybrid event, year after year

We've sung their praises before, but BSA's Heart of America Council keeps upping their game year after year at their annual Patron Luncheon—and their Patron Luncheon keeps upping the donations.

What we love about it:

BSA's Heart of America Council virtual event campaign site features

• a pre-recorded event video right at the top of the page
• high-contrast buttons with clear CTAs to "Give Now", "Watch on YouTube", and "Pledge Now"
• progress bars that showcase the event's success
• photos and background of honored guests to entice engagement
• a clear nonprofit story that relates the event back to scouts
• sponsor recognition and gratitude
• long-term access to the event programming

Here's how BSA Heart of America Council made it work:

In 2021, BSA Heart of America Council took their annual Patron Luncheon virtual, renting a professional studio and prerecording much of the programming, giving them the time and space to present a polished, professional performance to their attendees without stressing over speaker scheduling or unexpected technical issues.

In addition, by tapping into Funraise's Facebook integration and customizing the event's fundraising campaign site, Heart of America Council was able to offer a centralized home base for peer-to-peer fundraisers as well as a way to extend the event past the organization's own network.

Both event pages have continued to collect donations well past the event date, thanks to the engaging content housed on specialty fundraising campaign sites.

Campaign types

Let’s hit rewind for a minute and go back to basics. “What super-special nonprofit occasions merit their very own campaign site?” you want to know. We’re so glad you asked!

Capital campaign

When you have a big goal—like a new van, major renovations, or a solid-gold statue of your dog (just an idea!)—a capital campaign sets you up to collect major gifts in a set amount of time.

Advocacy or awareness campaign

If something big happens in your nonprofit niche, you want to get the word out and get your supporters shouting from the internet-tops (rooftops are good, too). If so, an awareness or advocacy campaign can spread the gospel and spark action.

Giving Tuesday campaign

Every year, on a very special day, nonprofits solicit gifts from as many supporters as possible to support their year-end fundraising efforts. Yep, Giving Tuesday is a campaign type unto itself.

Event campaign

Before a big fundraising event, an event campaign is the perfect way to get the who, what, when, where, why word out and get the donations flowing.

Peer-to-peer fundraising campaign

Gather your supporters close and give them each a fundraising campaign site. Then, set them free to fundraise for your cause. Each person can set their own goal and spread the word, deepening engagement and increasing your fundraising power.

Crowdfunding campaign

The third cousin once removed of a P2P campaign, crowdfunding also sources donations from your network, but this time you’re focused on getting as many small donations as possible, with a single goal and in a single place.

Monthly giving campaign

It’s no secret that we love recurring giving programs, and a monthly giving campaign could be your ticket to reliable revenue and organizational bliss.

Matching gift campaign

If a major donor offers to match all donations for a set period of time, you’ve got yourself a matching gift campaign. Challenge accepted!

Giving day campaign

Yes, Giving Tuesday is its own campaign type, but you can set up a giving day any day! To decrease the lift on your individual organization, consider teaming up with nonprofits in your area, like Long Beach did, or organizations in your nonprofit niche.

10 essential elements—a checklist for successful nonprofit fundraising campaign sites

Fundraising campaign sites for nonprofits come all sizes and colors, kinda like humans! And what works for one nonprofit may spell disappointment for another, but there are definitely some best practices and must-have ingredients to increase your chances of staggering success. Take a look at the checklist below and see how many boxes your site ticks!

If you're looking for the key elements and examples of great nonprofit websites, take a look at Elevation's website insights!

1. A great donor experience

This is a must no matter what your fundraising strategy is! (Can you imagine making a bad donor experience a campaign cornerstone? Horrors!) Our top tip for a great donor experience? Less is more. Fewer clicks, reduced fields to fill, and definitely less searching for a donate button!

2. Customization

Few things add to a campaign site like custom colors, branding, and logos. Aside from the fact that it looks fan-freaking-tastic and super pro, customization has another, more serious use: security and trustworthiness. When your donor clicks an ad or social media post and they're taken to a completely different site... where they're supposed to enter sensitive information... and give away their money... that site better visually connect back to your nonprofit.

3. Shareability

You gotta get the word out there when you've got a fundraising campaign running. And to do that, you've gotta make spreading the good news easy and obvious. Use a peer-to-peer platform that offers social sharing buttons (like Funraise), and make sure they're set up properly so there are no obstacles.

4. Progress bars

What motivates donors to give? Seeing you make progress. It gets the juices flowing, it creates FOMO, and it cultivates the tiniest bit of healthy competition. Add a progress bar and keep donors on their toes!

5. P2P-ability

P2P-ability? We just made up the word. But the meaning is clear—infuse your campaign site with networking capabilities by enacting a peer-to-peer element to your fundraising campaign. And do it right from your (Funraise) campaign site. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. (We did not make that up.)

6. Mobile optimization

Did you know that 50% of your nonprofit website's visitors come through mobile? And the thing is... that number's not static. It will only get bigger as time goes on. Ergo, your fundraising campaign site (and your nonprofit's main website) needs to be mobile optimized.

7. Integrations

Once your donors give, the impact begins. But how do you use the donor and donation information?  With Funraise, your data goes directly to your connected CRM. Not only that, but Funraise integrates with your email program, social media, even Salesforce!

8. A way to contact your nonprofit

Even the best donor experiences have their hiccups. Sometimes donors have questions or supporters want more information. Give your website visitors a way to easily send you a message, get an answer, or give you updates. Try a chatbot!

9. (Limited) options

Customization doesn't just apply to your org, it also applies to donors. Give your donors the chance to support you in the way and at the level that's comfortable for them. Maybe they want to become a recurring donor! Or maybe their employer does a company donation match. They're interested in covering your fees or directing their donation to a specific program. Give them the power to be your champion.

10. Follow up

No nonprofit's fundraising campaign website is complete without a follow up plan. Email is usually the best way to go, although over text or through an app will work for different audiences. No matter how you do it, don't forget the follow up.

8 top tips for your campaign site

While there’s many a campaign type to choose from, the best campaign sites have a few things in common. Here are some tried-and-true, best-practice tips to build the campaign site of your dreams.

1. Keep your branding consistent

Your campaign microsite is independent and mighty, but it’s still part of the bigger organizational picture. Consistent branding builds trust and ensures donors connect your campaign to your nonprofit. That means you want to stick with your well-known and well-loved colors and fonts.

2. But make your site custom

While you want your campaign site to be on-brand, you also want it to pop, shine, sparkle, and buzz. After all, the whole point is that this is a unique initiative—so your microsite should reflect that. Consider a catchy name, original logo, or snazzy background video to make your site stand out.

3. Make the goal crystal clear

No one should stumble on your campaign site and think, “What a lovely page! Why did they make it?” A campaign is all about meeting a single goal, and the only way you’ll reach that goal is with a can’t-miss call to action. Put that mission front and center, and make that donate button or event RSVP form big and bright.

4. Show progress

Fundraising is all about impact: you want to show your supporters what you’ve done—and what you will do—with their support. When you’re urging supporters to take action in a set amount of time, you need to give them a reason to act ASAP. Use your site to show that you’re making strides toward your goal with a live progress meter or donation feed. Every donation moves the needle—and builds donor engagement.

5. Promote the heck out of it

Some folks use email, some folks use text messages, and some prefer paper airplanes. That means you need to practice your origami skills, because you need to advertise your campaign across all channels to ensure everyone everywhere knows about it. Otherwise, it’s just taking up valuable internet real estate that could be used for cat memes.

6. Make it accessible

If you want to get everyone involved, you need to consider all the possibilities and make it as easy as possible to get involved with your campaign. Will your visitors be on a laptop, tablet, or phone? Make it mobile-friendly! Will they have a payment preference? Ensure credit card, debit card, PayPal, Stripe, and cookie dough are all on the table.

7. Make it shareable

Want your supporters to spread the word about your campaign? You’ll need links to various social network and clear, concise content snippets.

8. Check that data

Campaign sites can yield lots of juicy data to help inform (you guessed it) future campaigns. You want to know what worked and what didn’t, so that each campaign is better than the last. Consider site visits, marketing outreach click-through rates, and donations.

Get the good times rolling with Funraise’s campaign site builder.

5 benefits of nonprofit campaign sites

Friend, you are well on your way to building a beautiful, memorable, effective, and efficient campaign site. But before you embark on that life-changing journey, it’s important to consider why you’re putting in all this effort. Here are some of the benefits of launching a nonprofit campaign and building a campaign site.

1. Focus in

Your nonprofit organization is darn inspirational, if we do say so ourselves. But chances are your website has a lot going on, from staff bios to vision statements to annual reports to success stories. With a campaign site, you can focus site visitors on a single goal, issue, or event with nary another distraction in sight.

2. Get valuable data

With a microsite, you can collect highly focused data that will help inform future campaign strategies. For example, if it’s a crowdfunding campaign site, you can track conversions, average amount donated, bounce rate, and more. One clean site = fewer variables to muddy those super-valuable metrics.

3. Make it speedy

A full website is a delicate beast, and every update and change needs to be carefully crafted, reviewed by multiple stakeholders, and then released into the world. But you can get a campaign site up and running fast. Development is a breeze (especially with Funraise!) and placement goes quickly, so you can launch that seasonal campaign ASAP.

4. Share the deets

For most things internet-related, short and succinct is the name of the game. We love short sentences, short paragraphs, and lots of white space. But sometimes, you just want to dive into the details—to share every number and success and name. A campaign site is the perfect place to do that because there’s only one area of focus, and you want your supporters to understand the issue inside and out.

5. Keep your homepage clean

As we mentioned, a crowded website does no one any favors—you want a clean design, relevant content, and navigation that gets users up to speed and directs them to the donate button. Campaign sites ensure you’re not cluttering up your main site with too many links and ideas.

Just like a political campaign can mean the difference between victory and defeat, a nonprofit campaign site can be the difference between hitting your fundraising goal or missing the mark. With a campaign site, you can highlight the issues and actions that matter most, boosting engagement, building trust, and bringing in the donations.

Nonprofit fundraising campaign sites: Key takeaways

• A campaign site or microsite allows you to focus your supporters on a single issue and/or action in one accessible, beautiful place.
• On your campaign site, you can share information, accept donations, sell tickets, sign up peer-to-peer fundraisers, and more.
• There are many types of nonprofit campaigns. Some of the most popular ones include peer-to-peer campaigns, capital campaigns, and year-end campaigns.
• Encouraging your supporters to create their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages is a great way to boost engagement and fundraising revenue.